Consumer Reports and Yahoo! Sign Premium Content Distribution Agreement
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--June 4, 2001--Yahoo! Shopping Unveils Pay-Per-View Product Ratings and Free Buying
Guides from Consumer Reports(R) Consumer Reports Auto Buying Guides Available for Free at Yahoo! Autos
Yahoo! Inc. , a leading enabler of Web transactions, and Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports(R) magazine and ConsumerReports.org, today announced a premium content distribution agreement to distribute Consumer Reports(R) unbiased and objective product ratings and buying guides on the Yahoo! network. As part of the agreement, Yahoo! has integrated free buying guides and premium pay-per-view product ratings from Consumer Reports into Yahoo!(R) Shopping (http://shopping.yahoo.com). Additionally, Yahoo! has integrated free Consumer Reports auto buying guides into Yahoo! Autos (http://autos.yahoo.com), marking the first time this content is available outside ConsumerReports.org. Yahoo! also will work with Consumer Reports (www.ConsumerReports.org) to integrate buying guides into other relevant areas of the Yahoo! network. Under the terms of the agreement, Yahoo! will receive an undisclosed share of revenue from sales of pay-per-view content on its site.
"Our research shows that consumers demand trusted information and resources to help them make well-informed buying decisions," said Rob Solomon, vice president and general manager of Yahoo! Shopping. "Consumer Reports has established itself as one of the most popular and trusted fee-based sites on the Web, and we are happy to offer their content to our large audience of shoppers."
Available today, shoppers can view free Consumer Reports buying guides on both Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Autos. The free guides contain general summaries of product categories, buying advice and information including product trends. Consumers also have the option to buy pay-per-view product reports for only $2.95 per report, which includes access to the report for 30 days on Yahoo! Shopping. Each pay-per-view report provides in-depth buying advice, performance ratings and information about key features and brand reliability on all the rated products in a category, similar to the information in Consumer Reports magazine. During the 30-day period, users will have access to dynamic information as it is updated by Consumer Reports. Consumers can conveniently purchase these premium reports using Yahoo! Wallet, the most widely accepted wallet on the Web.
"This business relationship with Yahoo! enables Consumer Reports to reach one of the largest purchasing audiences on the Web," said John Sateja, vice president of New Media at Consumers Union. "This relationship also gives Consumer Reports the ability to extend our brand online, and develop new relationships with consumers in addition to the more than 560,000 online subscribers we currently serve at our Web site -- ConsumerReports.org."
Making Better Buying Decisions
Consumer Reports has the most comprehensive auto-test program of any consumer publication in the United States. Unlike other publications and Web sites, the magazine buys all the cars, trucks, and SUVs that it tests in the retail market and typically evaluates the vehicles for several months. Experienced auto engineers conduct 46 individual tests, ranging from emergency handling, acceleration, and braking, to fuel economy and bumper-impact tests. Yahoo! Autos users can access Consumer Reports content on the best new and used cars of 2001, as well as reports on which used cars are the safest, how to inspect a used car and warranty comparison information. Yahoo! Autos will continue to expand current offerings to include Consumer Reports pay-per-view content in the near future.
Yahoo! Shopping has integrated links to Consumer Reports content within relevant areas of the site, so consumers can easily access guides and reports on products as they shop. In addition, Yahoo! has created a centralized location where shoppers can peruse buying guides and premium product reports by category (http://shopping.yahoo.com/consumerreports). The addition of Consumer Reports content complements Yahoo! Shopping's existing features and programs designed to help consumers make better-informed purchases online.
About Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports provides consumers with an independent, impartial source of product and service ratings and recommendations, based on its unique, expert lab testing and survey research. All visitors to the ConsumerReports.org Web site have access, at no cost, to helpful advice, safety alerts, recalls, an auto-information hub, and much more. Site subscribers receive product and service ratings and recommendations, unlimited access to the latest issue of Consumer Reports, more than four years of archived reports, exclusive product reliability data, e-Ratings of online shopping sites, message boards and more. ConsumerReports.org is the largest paid magazine subscription site on the Web, with more than 560,000 paid subscribers (as of May 2001). Subscriptions to Consumer Reports printed magazine and other information products are available through the ConsumerReports.org Web store.
Consumer Reports magazine and ConsumerReports.org are published by Consumers Union, an independent, nonprofit testing and information-gathering organization, serving only the consumer. They are a comprehensive source of unbiased advice about products and services, personal finance, health, nutrition, and other consumer concerns. Since 1936, Consumers Union's mission has been to test products, inform the public, and protect consumers.
About Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet communications, commerce and media company that offers a comprehensive branded network of services to more than 192 million individuals each month worldwide. As the first online navigational guide to the Web, www.yahoo.com is the leading guide in terms of traffic, advertising, household and business user reach. Yahoo! is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and reaches the largest audience worldwide. The company also provides online business and enterprise services designed to enhance the productivity and Web presence of Yahoo!'s clients. These services include Corporate Yahoo!, a popular customized enterprise portal solution; audio and video streaming; store hosting and management; and Web site tools and services. The company's global Web network includes 24 World properties. Yahoo! has offices in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Canada and the United States, and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.
Yahoo!, and the Yahoo! logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Consumer Reports(R) is published by Consumers Union, an independent, nonprofit testing and information-gathering organization, serving only the consumer. We are a comprehensive source of unbiased advice about products and services, personal finance, health, nutrition, and other consumer concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products, inform the public, and protect consumers.